


Constant Crush

by theeternalblue



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Friendship, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-04
Updated: 2017-02-04
Packaged: 2018-09-21 21:47:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,167
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9568220
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theeternalblue/pseuds/theeternalblue
Summary: It's just a crush. And crushes are easy to get over, aren't they?





	

**Author's Note:**

> Title taken from the song by VÉRITÉ.
> 
> I don't know what I'm doing here, but I watched the two first episodes, and then I had ideas.

She’s proud of her mother. More than anything, Veronica is proud. They aren’t about to wallow on self-pity. With their heads held high, they are going to survive by their own means, until the innocence of her father is proven. Hopefully this will be sooner than later, because even if they are managing, she’s not sure how well they’ll do once the savings start to dwindle.

Sure, the employees discount for her milkshake is a perk, but not enough to hope for her mother to keep a job at Pop’s for longer than a few weeks – maybe a couple of months tops. But even so, as she goes over her homework at a table in the corner of the diner, she smiles at her mother who stills has a couple of hours of work ahead of her.

She’s at that point of boredom – when daydreaming worms its way between math equations – when certain redheaded boy enters this fine establishment. Veronica wants nothing more but to hide, so trying to be subtle she finds inspiration to go back to those dreadful equations and slides down her seat, trying and failing to hide behind the milkshake and her cellphone.

After all, Archie is just trouble for her. Obviously there’s nothing in common between them. She’s the one with the hidden claws, ready to attack – only waiting for the right moment to rip your throat. And he looks like a nice boy in the body of a man – which is the exact problem.

“Hello, Archie.” Veronica cringes when she hears her mother speaking and making pleasant talk, only to finish with what anyone could see from the start. “You should say hi to Veronica. She’s right over there.”

_Thanks, mom._

Veronica is forced to wave at Archie, pressing her lips together as if already biting back an apology for such a blatant attempt of her mother to get them to be _friends_.

As the obedient teen he is, Archie does as told and approaches her. She’d like to read his posture as nervousness – hands in pockets, shoulders up and an awkward smile on his freckled face. He’s probably just waiting for his cue to leave.

“Hi.”

“Hi,” she sighs tiredly, already shaking her head. “You don’t have to–“

But to her surprise he’s sitting right across the table, sliding in the booth as if she had been expecting him.

“How are you?”

How is she? Well, there’s this plan she had about being the _new_ _and improved_ Veronica – a thoughtful girl who had true friends for once – but that plan was shot to hell when he greeted her the first time at this exact same place, and completely busted when they kissed in that closet. So, you know, she’s back to being that cold-hearted bitch with nice clothes and stylish handbags but no friends. Just like in New York, but well that’s…

“Fine. Thank you.”

He lets out this breathy chuckle and tilts his head to the side, brow furrowing. “Are you mad at me?”

“Mad? No.” She huffs and sips from her milkshake – double chocolate, her favorite. “Why would I? Should I be?” She’s being bitchy. Veronica is quite aware of that, but maybe if she can pretend not wanting him around when they are alone, then she’ll believe it. It would make her friendship with Betty and Kevin much easier. It’s exhausting to be a pariah.

“I know this… weird thing is partly my fault.” He has a hard time figuring out the words, but he’s brave enough to get them out of his mouth.

“Weird thing? You mean, messing things up with Betty? Yeah, that’s a problem, but I’m a mature person and I realize now that we were driven by hormones that one time. And there’s nothing left to talk about.”

“But we’re friends–“

“We are.” She hopes so.

“And we kissed.”

Veronica laughs awkwardly. She’s feeling extremely uncomfortable, so she fidgets in her seat. “You told me you kissed Betty too.”

“On the second grade? I don’t think it has the same implications.”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“It doesn’t?”

“No! It’s different. Hormones and feelings are not the same thing. We are attractive people who just happened to notice that.” She’s being incoherent now. This is not going well for her.

“Why? I mean, who says I don’t have whatever feelings you are talking about for you?” Archie is playing a dangerous game, and he’s probably not aware of it. Any other girl would start to get her hopes up, but Veronica is starting to get the whole story and the background – it’s a mess of one-sided feelings with Betty, and Archie with his secrets. No one should be caught up in the middle. Veronica doesn’t want to.

“You don’t give a damn about me.” Veronica spits it out like venom. “And it’s fine, because you don’t know me. You’ve barely talked to me.” She lifts her hand up to shut him up when he tries to interrupt her. “On your own free will. I’m the one who starts conversation, who asks things and takes decisions. You only decided to get inside a closet for seven minutes.”

“I’m sorry.” And he does look terribly sorry, but she doesn’t want that! She wants him to not only look like a man, but be one and take decisions and tell the truth. It’s as if he had a blindfold over his eyes.

“I want to have friends who can trust me. Betty has given me the chance. I don’t want to ruin it.”

“But we’re all friends–“

She laughs, making Archie stop mid-sentence. “She’s still in love with you. That won’t go away overnight. And I won’t get in the way of it.”

“What about you?” He’s being extremely daring by asking these questions, but she appreciates it.

“Me? I have a crush on you,” she smiles when his posture gets rigid, as if he wasn’t ready for such an honest answer. “But crushes go away. I’ll get over it and survive.”

Just then, Jughead enters the diner, and as usual he’s got a purpose in mind. His eyes set on Archie.

“Your friend is here. I’m sure you don’t want to make him wait. Plus, I’ve got to get home.” Veronica sighs and starts to gather her things while Archie stands up to finally vacate the seat.

“Ronnie, I’m really sorry for putting you in this situation.”

“Don’t worry, Archiekins.” She grins for her own benefit. “I’m like a cat – I’ll fall on my feet.”

She decides to leave just as Archie and Jughead sit on the stools at the bar, already talking about who knows what.

Veronica says bye to her mother, promising to wait for her to get home, and then, right before she steps out she listens to the guys ordering.

“So boys, what’s it going to be?”

“Fries, and a soda. For now.” Jughead prattles without thinking too much about it.

“Okay. And for you, Archie?”

“A double chocolate milkshake for me, please.”


End file.
